From World Cup triumphs and heartaches to cricketing heroics, few sporting rivalries compare with South Africa against Australia.
From World Cup heartaches to Tri Nations triumphs and Test match heroics, South Africa and Australia have a sporting rivalry that hasn’t diminished over the decades.
Rugby and cricket have played centre stage since South Africa’s return to international sports in 1992, with the pendulum swinging one way and then the other.
Here, we look at how this has played out to date.
1992 Cricket World Cup
South Africa’s first Cricket World Cup match came after 21 years of sporting isolation. We entered the World Cup as an unknown force and had to play against hosts Australia in our first game.
Allan Donald took three wickets to keep Australia to 170/9 before Kepler Wessels, captaining the country of his birth against his formerly adopted country, scored 81 not out. His knock, along with Peter Kirsten’s 49*, ensured our win.
SA defeat defending champions in Rugby World Cup debut
The 1995 Rugby World Cup held more than just sporting significance, being played in Africa for the first time.
As our first democratically elected president, Nelson Mandela, said, “Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does.”
So it was important for the Springboks to instil pride in the South African flag, uniting people across racial and cultural divides by giving them something to enjoy and cheer for together as the country sought peace and unity after Apartheid.
Our first Rugby World Cup match came against Australia in the group stages. South Africa’s 27–18 win over the defending champions laid the groundwork for an unforgettable tournament – our first title of four.
1999 Cricket World Cup heartache
This rivalry was elevated during the famous 1999 Cricket World Cup semi-final at Edgbaston. Australia won their group stage match against the South Africans by five runs, but when it came to the semi-final, they posted a mediocre score of 213.
South Africa struggled, but an in-form Lance Klusener kept them in the game. Though nine wickets down, we just needed one run off four deliveries. Klusener struck the ball towards mid-on and called for a quick single. Donald hesitated before dropping his bat and then setting off. He was run out well short, breaking the hearts of fans.
It was the first tie in World Cup history. Australia progressed because they finished higher in the Super Six table.
The record-breaking 438 game
The rivalry between the cricketing powers culminated in 2006 when their ODI series was tied 2–2 before the decider. But when Australia set a world-record total of 434/4 at The Bullring, with captain Ricky Ponting scoring a career-best 164, few gave the South Africans much hope.
What followed was a determined effort led by captain Graeme Smith (90) and Herschelle Gibbs (175, his own career-best) at the front.
In the end, it came down to the ever-dependable Mark Boucher (50) striking a boundary off the second last ball to seal the historic win.
Proteas finally beat Australia in Australia
When the Proteas toured Australia in 2008 there was a feeling they could finally win a Test series there.
The South Africans battled fiercely in the opening Test at the Waca, where they were set a daunting target of 414 – the second-highest chase in Test history at the time. Centuries from Graeme Smith and AB de Villiers, and half-centuries from Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis and JP Duminy secured the win. It was a demoralising blow for the Australians, who lost the next Test poorly and only secured a consolation win in the third.
They got revenge in their return tour the following year, however. Smith famously batted with a broken finger in Newlands as the South Africans fought desperately for their own consolation victory.
Tri-Nations triumphs to 2011 Rugby World Cup dismay
The Springbok-All Blacks rivalry has been more prominent in the Rugby Championship (previously called Tri-Nations), but South Africa’s rivalry with Australia has also been a major feature of the tournament.
Since the end of apartheid, the spoils have been fairly even, but South Africa has grown stronger as Australia has weakened. The Springboks have won the last four encounters in the Rugby Championship, with Australia finishing last in the last two tournaments.
However, few will forget the controversy in the 2011 World Cup when the Springboks failed to convert their dominance into points. They lost the match 11–9 though referee Bryce Lawrence received much criticsm for his handling of the breakdown during the game.
World Test Championship final
While South Africa has had mixed results in cricket in recent years, the World Test Championship final win over Australia at Lord’s in June ended a 27-year drought without a major trophy.
Captain Temba Bavuma led the way with a 66 in difficult conditions, while Aiden Markram scored a stunning century and Kagiso Rabada took nine wickets.
Donald said the win by Bavuma’s men ‘shuts the door‘ on his 1999 mistake that cost them the World Cup semi-final.
